Sons enter fray to don political mantle of fathers

Former Deputy Prime Minister Devi Lal, who is father of Ranjit Singh and Chautala, is also contesting from Rohtak, making it a rare case where three generations of one family are contesting. While Devi Lal and Ajay are Haryana Lok Dal(R) candidates, Ranjit Singh has been put up by the Congress.

But it is Bhiwani which is witnessing the real battle of sons. Surinder Singh, who represented the constituency in the dissolved Lok Sabha, was the obvious HVPchoice for the seat. He is being opposed by Ajay and Ranbir Mahendra of the Congress.

Chautala said they fielded Ajay “to send a message that we are making a serious bid to win” this seat, which is regarded as Bansi Lal’s bastion. The Congress calculated that Bansi Lal’s estranged elder son alone could capture Surinder Singh’s vote-bank.

The result is that two brothers are pitted against each other, making it an interesting contest. Hisar will also witness a fight between brothers, although not directly. Chautala has fielded his own candidate Surinder Barwala against his younger brother Ranjit, who is the Congress candidate.

Will Devi Lal campaign against Ranjit Singh? Depends on whether he will get time off from his own election campaign in Rohtak where the octogenarian `Tau’ is trying to avenge two successive defeats at the hands of Congress’s Bhupinder Singh Hooda. Backing Devi Lal this time is BSP.

Rao Inderjeet is trying to wrest back the family stronghold of Mahendragarh from his father’s oldrival Rao Ram Singh of the BJP. Rao Ram Singh had defeated Rao Birender Singh in 1996 and is again in the fray. Opposing them both is Raghu Yadav of the BSP, who has been fighting a lone battle against the “feudalism” of the two Raos for long.

Chiranji Lal Sharma’s son Kuldeep is contesting from Kurukshetra. Sharma, who represented nearby Karnal four times, lost in the race for the party ticket to former Chief Minister Bhajan Lal. In place of Karnal, he was offered Kurukshetra. Instead of contesting himself, Sharma persuaded the party to put up his son. He will be facing Kailasho Saini of HLD (R) and Jatinder Singh of HVP.